Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Steve Pemberton are set to star in a revival of Martin McDonagh’s black comedy The Pillowman this summer.
Film star Taylor-Johnson, whose credits include Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic Tenet, hasn’t performed on stage since he was nine years old. He appeared in All My Sons at the National Theatre alongside Julie Walters and Laurie Metcalf.
McDonagh will reunite with director Matthew Dunster following their collaboration on Hangmen, which is soon to open on Broadway.
The Pillowman was last seen in London 17 years ago, and tells the story of Katurian (Taylor-Johnson), a writer of gruesome short stories living in a police state, who is interrogated when a number of child murders bear similarities to his tales. Pemberton will play Michal, Katurian’s brother.
The play won the Olivier Award for best new play in 2004, as well as being nominated for the Evening Standard Theatre Award the same year.
McDonagh’s previous works include The Lieutenant of Inishmore and movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. His last play A Very Very Very Dark Matter – about fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen – ran at the Bridge Theatre in 2018.
The Pillowman will run at the Duke of York’s Theatre from July 24 for 12 weeks.
